As I posted on Saturday, we have a couple of newbies in the flock: Tilly, our Splash Cochin Bantam, and Tess, our Black Silkie Bantam.

I choose Silkies because they’re lap chickens, or they’re supposed to be, and I wanted a chicken that would be okay with me carrying it around if I wanted to. (How in the world does Tori Spelling not get poop on her, I wonder?) The Cochin was unintentional and I didn’t know anything about the breed, but so far she is so much more loving and docile than the Silkie. According to what I’ve read, Cochins are very friendly toward humans as are Silkies, but my Silkie makes noises and flaps her wings when I pick her up (sad face!).

Both are Asiatic breeds with feathered feet. They’re a week younger than most of our other chicks, except Ansel (Dominique) who’s at least a few days, if not a week, older than our original flock. They seem to be getting along with the other chickens pretty well. We’ve not had, nor have we witnessed, any major problems.

I let them free range on Saturday for awhile and brought the two of them back out on Sunday for a little free range before dinner. I want them to learn their names (apparently that can happen), so I called them to me several times and … apparently now I’m going to have to change their names:

In coop news, some progress was made Sunday.

It now has posts.

We’ve also altered our plans for the coop because I believe I was overwhelming my poor husband with a design that was too complicated.

The chicks are supposed to go into the coop when they’re 8-9 weeks old and this week the original flock will be six weeks old and Till and Tess will be five weeks old. I’m eager to see it completed, but (and I mean no offense to my husband) I’m not thinking it will be ready in three weeks since it’s taken us a lot longer to get this far. One day it will be done, right?

Related posts:

1. Backyard Barnyard: The Chickadays I feel almost strange saying this, because never in a...
2. Backyard Barnyard: Coop Under Construction It’s been a little more than a week since we...
3. 1st Ultrasound Oh, and for the record .. despite the fact that...

Our weekends are usually full of different things, and that’s both good and bad. This weekend we had a make-up softball game for Jaiden, in the rain, followed by two parties. Our lovely friend Christa graduated from college on May 5, after several years of hard, hard work (she’s an overachiever and a top-notch student), and so we celebrated her Saturday afternoon at church.

The kids had a blast with their friends, as always.

Incidentally I don’t have any pictures of Jenna playing because she was pouting at this particular time. She was in the moonbounce with the little boy on the right in the photo above and he ended up with a bloody nose. I think it was an accident, but Jenna was embarrassed and upset and then turned into “I HATE MYSELF!!” Jenna. I don’t know what that was all about, but it was like a multiple personality emerged and all it wanted to do was lie on the floor in the church bathroom and cry. Eventually she stopped with her attitude and joined everyone else in the backyard. With a smile.

Saturday evening was our brother-in-law Isaac’s birthday party so we spent several hours over there with friends and family, too. Dara and Isaac made the most delicious Mexican food, strawberry lemonade, etc. and I got to hold that precious little Eleanor of theirs for a little bit and visit with people I hadn’t seen in awhile.

The next day was Mother’s Day, of course, and I really can’t figure out if that should have an apostrophe or not. Is it singular possessive, plural possessive or not-at-all possessive? (I, personally, think it should be a day where we celebrate all mothers, so no apostrophe at all, but no one asked me.)

The kids and I went to church, ran an errand, then came home to clean the house. On Friday I received roses at work from Darin and the kids and the kids gave me handmade cards and such all week long.

On Saturday the kids gave me a sweet homemade card and a necklace that Jaiden made herself (with guidance from my mom).

I took a nap on Sunday because I was grouchy and tired and then we had dinner at IHOP. I had my lovely, delicious Nutella crepes and they were awesome.

Afterward I had Darin take photos of the kids and I before we left (and I’m wearing the necklace Jaiden made). Jenna was unhappy because she couldn’t sit next to me and got in trouble for being stubborn. C’est la vie. One day we’ll laugh at it, but I’m a little sad she wouldn’t at least humor me.

On Monday I was off of work, but it wasn’t something I was entirely thrilled about.

For several months now I have had pain and numbness coming from the tooth where I had a root canal nearly two years ago. An x-ray last month showed there was an abscess and the infection, shown around the root of the tooth on the left (in blue), was pressing against my mandibular nerve which caused numbness in my cheek, lip and jaw on the right side. I was referred to an endodontist for retreatment, which was done yesterday. I am told I have abnormally long roots and not only that but instead of standing at parade rest, they stand at attention, meaning they’re together instead of apart. I’m not an expert, but I don’t think a molar (it’s #31) is supposed to have roots that look like mine does.

Do me a favor and do not Google pictures of teeth. You will be horrified.

So yesterday was my repeat root canal. After my original in 2010, I said it didn’t really hurt, but this time it did. I actually took half a Hydrocodone last night and pills that strong are usually reserved for my hellacious endometrial pain. I came home after running a few errands and read for a few minutes, then passed out (this was before I took any medication, mind you); it was the best, deepest sleep I’ve had in MONTHS! It was awesome, but too short. I had to pick the kids up and take them to their ball games. We got back home at 9 and I flopped down on the bed and did not get out until 7 this morning. It was so nice, but this time it hurt much more than the first time. He had to drill through my porcelain crown, remove the existing work (which looked like wires) and redo it. I have to go back on May 31 to finish it.

So yesterday I barely ate and the two days prior I overate like CRAZY. I weighed in today and I’ve gained a pound since last week (last week I was down a total of five pounds overall). This week I need to run and exercise which I didn’t do much of last week.

And now that all of this is shared, I’ll return to my regularly scheduled programming. Tomorrow it’s all about chickens again. Aren’t you excited?

Related posts:

1. Parties and Festivals Bryan had a poker party last night, which means that...

Weeks ago when Darin and the kids first brought the chicks home I told them I wanted a Silkie as my chicken. We had hopes of having one from my co-worker’s hatch, but there was only one (she was a Splash Silkie and, sadly, she died on Thursday). I told Darin and the kids I wanted one for Mother’s Day, so I did what any mom would do and arranged it myself. This is a trick I learned from my Auntie Di who bought herself perfume and mascara “from her husband” for herself for Christmas. lol.

Luckily there were some locally! After Jenna’s softball game last night we went to Mason to pick “one” up. We came home with a Black Silkie and a Cochin. Meet Tess, the Silkie, and Tilly, the Cochin! Silkies are naturally smaller than the others in our flock; I don’t know much about Cochins yet, because I hadn’t planned on bringing one home, but I believe Tilly’s a bantam.

Tilly, I’m sure, is a female; there was an obvious roo in the brooder, so I’m pretty confident about her. Tess, however, is going to be Tess until I find out for sure whether she is a she or she is a he; Silkies are very difficult to sex and it isn’t until they reach laying age that it can be determined.

And just for kicks, here’s a picture of the rest of the flock, taken last night.

Roosevelt, our roo, is kind of pissing me off these days because he is mean. He pecks at the others. Also, I caught one of the RIRs pecking at Tilly’s eye last night. Annoying. Sometimes it happens when you introduce newbies, though.

Next up? Trying to convince my husband to get me one of these one day.

Not sure it will ever happen, though I’m not sure how he can resist this ADORABLE face!

Related posts:

1. Chickens and niches and such I feel like I am always starting off with "it's...
2. Friday Five: Things I’m Digging Earlier this week I’d decided today I’d talk about family...
3. Snapshot: Feeding the chickens Jaylen is very sweet when it comes to pets. Where...

Gift-giving kind of sucks, am I right? Sometimes it gets so stressful between expenses and preferences and not knowing whether the recipient will actually like the gift that it can be completely overwhelming. Le sigh. I hate having to guess when it comes time to give gifts.

On the flipside, I sometimes hate receiving gifts because I’m easily disappointed. My co-worker Andy (such. a. man!) said I need to stop having expectations, but I was born with a uterus and so that pretty much guarantees that I will, in fact, have expectations.

I know it’s only two days before Mother’s Day and I’m a little late on the whole Mother’s Day gift ideas thing, but if you happen to be my husband or one of my children, here are some ideas for you (because I know you’re later than me with all of this). I’m in a practical sort of mood this week, so here we go:

1. Plants Flowers are awesome, but having them inside tends to aggravate my allergies. Better solution? Buy me something I can plant in the flower beds. Specifically, more hydrangeas! (Speaking of which, they’re blooming right now, a month ahead of schedule! I took the picture of them up top on Sunday morning in the rain before my jog/walk, but they’re getting more purple. And to share my weird way of remembering when different things typically bloom, I remember that hydrangeas were blooming the week of my (June 6) wedding because Shanée and I were talking about them and I remember that Queen Anne’s Lace was also blooming that week because I wanted some cut for my centerpieces.) (Hellooooo, tangent.)
2. Nutella Crepes A total diet buster buuuut … I want some.
3. A gift certificate to my salon I’m in bad, bad, bad need of a trim and a brow wax. And for the husband, if you somehow read this before Mother’s Day, I go to Salon 76 right next to JT’s. And I love them.
4. A pedicure It’s been about a year or more since I last went and I’d love to go again.
5. Handmades and homemades The kids have already given me cards and drawings and such, which is awesome. I love these, they’re my favorite. You can’t go wrong with a letter telling your mom how much you love her or encouraging her that she’s doing a couple of things right even though she doesn’t really feel like she is. That’d be cool too.

Of course I wouldn’t say no to diamonds. Or a day off. Or just an uninterrupted trip to the bathroom.

What’s on your Mother’s Day wishlist?

Related posts:

1. The best gifts The best gifts are those you don’t expect. A new...
2. Missing It I see them everywhere. Mothers with still-small children, carrying one...
3. It is what it is I just found out it’s International Cesarean Awareness Month. (I...

It’s the end of the school year (already) and while I’m still trying to figure out how that keeps happening so quickly, the teachers are lining up to pass out awards. This week I’ve logged 2½ hours sitting on bleachers with my cameraphone at the ready, watching as child after child after child gets up from their seat, trying to purse their lips together where joy and pride meet humility, and receive awards for being the best speller or the best dancer or the most improved.

Sitting there, watching eight classes receive awards, one by one by one, is a bit taxing; it’s boring (yeah, I’ll say it), and the only reason we do it is because we genuinely love our children and love seeing them in (hopefully) one of the happiest moments of their educational career.

And, I’m warning you, this is where I get braggy. (If you don’t like it, I invite you to leave and come back tomorrow when I’ll be talking about chickens or Thursday when I’m sharing a salmon recipe. Today, tonight, it’s all about my babies, my number ones.)

Jaiden brought home awards for language arts and math and honor roll and good conduct. She is ranked tenth in the fourth grade and has been in the top ten since Pre-Kindergarten, essentially. She has worked hard and I am proud of her!

Jaylen brought home awards for computer achievement and math and honor roll and, much to our surprise, is ranked number one in the second grade! We knew he was in the top ten, we just didn’t know he was the top student in the Class of 2022. He’s worked hard, has made straight As, and I am so proud of him. (He was tied for either first or second last year, they didn’t say.)

Jenna brought home a math award as well (what is it with these kids and math awards?) and one for honor roll. She, too, is ranked as the top in her grade (kindergarten did a top 12, honoring the top three kids in each class). She worked hard and I am proud of her.

Three for three.

If we’re being honest here, and we are, I love them no matter what grades they bring home. And I am proud of them always. But today, today I don’t think I could be more proud of the three of them if they cured cancer, won a Nobel Peace Prize and became president.

Somehow I get to be the mother of these three beautiful, wonderful children. I’ll never know all of the reasons why God chose me, why he trusted me with caring for and loving them, but I know all of the proud tears I’ve shed while watching their gapped-tooth grins and their little fingers clutching the awards they’ve earned are but a few. I’m really good at sitting on the sidelines in awe of these three, my heart bursting with so much pride and love that I cheer and clap and cry because my body cannot contain it.

I am blessed. And they are the reasons why.

Related posts:

1. So proud of my babies I’m so proud of my big girl! Jaiden had her...
2. Guess who’s an award-winning journalist? I am SOOO excited!! We got the letter from the...
3. Happy Hump Day So I have been in court all day for two...